RECRUITING SAVVY: BLUE-CHIP



RECRUITING SAVVY: BLUE-CHIP

ATHLETE OR NOT?

By John Haller

Peterson’s Sports Scholarships & College Athletic Programs

About 40 percent of today’s high school athletes want to play intercollegiate sports. About 15 percent actually reach that goal. The difference may come down to having a well-planned strategy, whether you are a blue-chip athlete or not.

The recruiting process in the game of intercollegiate athletics is becoming an increasingly exact science. First, if you are being recruited by an NCAA Division I institution, how do you truly know if you are a valued blue-chip recruit? Second, if you are not being recruited by any type of intercollegiate institution, how can you market or promote yourself for intercollegiate athletics?

BLUE-CHIP ATHLETES

Intercollegiate athletic recruitment at NCAA Division I institutions is big business and involves big money. Athletic departments, and colleges in general, spend considerable money marketing their various programs to attract the top or blue-chip athletes.

NCAA Division I coaches go to great lengths to identify such student-athletes. Currently, there are a growing number of recruiting services, scouting organizations, and national athletic publications. Also, with the introduction of the internet into the student-athlete identification process, it is getting more difficult for the truly elite blue-chip student-athlete to slip through the cracks. This is particularly the case in the most popular, high-visibility sports, such as football and basketball. It is less true in sports where it is difficult for college coaches to get nationwide data on top athletes.

In general, however, if you are deemed a true blue-chip athlete, you will know, because NCAA Division I institutions will come calling. First, you will receive mail in the form of letters, brochures, flyers, and postcards – all highlighting the specific school’s athletic programs. Second, and more important, after your junior year, you will begin receiving phone calls from coaches. You can measure your value in the initial stages of the recruiting process by the number of different NCAA Division I institutions that contact you by telephone. Initially, these calls will be flattering. Coaches, in addition to asking questions, will generate enthusiasm by talking about how their specific athletic program is at the top or moving in that direction. Over time, the recruiting process can become increasingly burdensome and confusing. You will need to see beyond the enthusiasm and ask coaches questions to compare schools and to weigh the positives and negatives of each athletic program.

Before making any kind of commitment, visit the school. NCAA Division I institutions can provide official paid visits by airplane, train, or car. If an official paid visit is offered, the institution will pay for the cost of transportation and all expenses to and from the school. When talking with coaches, make sure that you are offered an official paid visit to the institution before making any commitment to visit.

The official visit will provide an opportunity to tour the campus and athletic facilities, meet the players on the team, meet with the coaching staff, and simply determine if you feel comfortable with the athletic program and institution.

An offer of an official paid visit should make you feel that the athletic program is somewhat interested in you as a student-athlete. However, to truly measure the level of commitment, you need to be offered an athletic scholarship. Some institutions offer official visits to student-athletes without offering them scholarships. The official visit will be offered to you in order to “size you up” in terms of your athletic potential. Because of the reduced number of athletic scholarships being offered by NCAA Division I institutions and the reduced number of official visits allowed per athletic program, this tactic is not as common as in the past.

The official visit and the athletic scholarship are only the beginning of a series of variables that you must measure to determine if you are truly valued by a particular institution. If you are offered an athletic scholarship, you need to measure where you fit into the grand scheme of their athletic program. For instance, you should determine how many other athletes are being recruited at your position and where you rank on the list. Sometimes an athletic scholarship is offered to the first athlete who commits to that institution at that specific position. If a scholarship is offered, you need to ask the coaches recruiting you how much time you have to accept or decline the offer. Similarly, you should find out how many current student-athletes play at your position at the institution. Don’t be bashful asking the coaches such questions. Finding answers to these questions will help you measure where you fit into the institution’s depth chart, your relative priority to that institution, the competition at your specific position, and thus your opportunities to compete.

Before committing to any institution, you should determine the nature and terms of the scholarship being offered to you. First, find out if the scholarship will be honored if you are injured before enrolling at the institution or while you are enrolled. Similarly, ask if the scholarship is guaranteed for four or five years or if it is renewable each year. If it is renewable each year, find out what factors determine whether it will be renewed.

In addition, ask the coaches recruiting you if the scholarship includes a “redshirt” year. In a redshirt year, you will not participate in a game competition during the first year but will practice with the team. If redshirted, find out if the scholarship will be honored for an additional year, five years total, to allow you to compete as a fifth-year senior. It is essential that you find answers to these scholarship questions before you sign on the dotted line.

Once you have visited the schools to which you are being recruited, have been offered athletic scholarships, and feel that you are valued, you need to measure the academic strength and gauge the student life at each institution. You should choose a college where you not only feel valued but where you will also get the finest academic preparation and support and where you will feel most comfortable socially. Find out the four- and five-year graduation rates for scholarship student-athletes at each institution and what kinds of careers the current student-athletes enter upon graduation. Similarly, you should ask what the institution will do to help their graduating student-athletes find jobs. This will help you measure how current student-athletes are valued at an institution.

In determining the social climate, learn how a typical day is spent both in and out of season. Find out the percentage of students who live on campus and stay on campus during weekends. This will help you measure the level of activity on campus during a typical weekend and the number of students who commute to and from their homes. An institution with a large percentage of students who commute will probably have a smaller amount of activity during the weekend.

NON-BLUE CHIPPERS

If you are not getting the blue-chip rush, you are not alone. The majority of student-athletes do not have the luxury of being offered an NCAA Division I scholarship or are not recruited. If you are not recruited to a particular institution, there are ways you can market and promote yourself so coaches can be alerted to your interest in competing at their school.

To begin, you should have a list of colleges in which you are interested academically and socially. Find the names and address of the head coaches at these colleges. The marketing and promoting process begins when you send a personal letter to each coach expressing an interest in his or her college and athletic program. In the letter, provide the coach not only with athletic information, such as height, weight, times, statistics, and high school athletic awards, but also academic information, such as grade point average, class rank, and SAT and/or ACT scores.

Follow up your letter with a telephone call to the coach two to three weeks later. Ask the coach if he or she received the letter and if there are any questions. You should also be prepared to ask the coach additional questions about the athletic program. Find out if sending a videotape of yourself in action would be helpful.

At this point, depending on the coaches’ level of interest, you may decide to eliminate or visit some of the colleges. If a visit is planned, try to arrange a meeting with the coach in addition to taking a campus tour. After visiting the college and meeting with the coach, send a letter to the coach thanking him or her for taking the time to meet with you. Express your continued interest in the college and the specific athletic program. Always reply to any contact a coach initiates if you are still interested in that school.

Prior to the senior year in high school, you may have opportunities to attend and participate in a number of summer athletic camps. If you are interested in a college and they offer such a camp, this provides you with an additional opportunity to visit the campus and meet with the coach. Often coaches work at summer athletic camps not held at their particular institutions. You may choose to attend a camp where a particular coach is working so you will have an opportunity to meet him or her.

QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING YOUR VISIT

Before you decide to make your first visit, it’s a good idea to think carefully about the kind of information you are going to need to eventually make a decision. Once you do, you’ll be able to ask the right kinds of questions. Following are some good ones to get you started.

ASK THE RECRUITER:

1. What position (event) do you want me to play (perform), and how many others are you recruiting for the same position?

2. What is your philosophy of offense? Defense? Are you considering any changes?

3. Will I be red-shirted?

4. If I need a fifth year, will you finance it?

5. What happens to my scholarship if I’m injured or ineligible?

6. Whom do I see if I have academic problems?

7. Has drug use been an issue at your school? Athletic program?

8. Are all injuries handled by a team insurance policy?

9. If injured, may I use my family doctor? Who determines my fitness to compete after an injury?

10. What is expected of players during the off-season?

ASK OF THE PLAYERS AT THE SCHOOL:

1. What does your typical daily schedule look like? In-season? Off-season?

2. Approximately how many hours a night do you study?

3. What generally are the attitudes of professors in different fields of study? In my field of study? Toward athletes?

4. How do you like the living arrangements?

5. Do you have an academic advisor? Is he/she any good?

6. Are the coaches available to help if you have academic problems?

ASK OF NON-ATHLETES AT THE SCHOOL:

1. What do you think of the quality of the education you are receiving at this school?

2. If you had to do it all over again, would you choose this school to attend? Why or why not?

3. What is the general opinion of athletes on this campus?

ASK OF THE SCHOOL OFFICIALS/ADMISSIONS OFFICERS:

1. What are the different graduation rates for athletes? In my sport?

2. About how long does it take someone in my sport to earn a degree from this school?

3. What is the placement rate and the average starting salary for graduates in (your field of study)?

4. What is my eligibility for additional financial aid?

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THE SPORTS RESUME

A resume is a short summary of a person’s career and qualifications prepared typically by an applicant for a job. It usually highlights one’s accomplishments and experience and presents them in a logical format so that the reader can view all of the relevant information about a person at a glance.

The idea of a sports resume is very similar to a job resume, but instead of highlighting information necessary for gaining employment, its idea is to high light information necessary for gaining a place with a collegiate athletic program and ultimately winning a sports scholarship. Your sports resume should be brief, no more than two pages, and should include the following information:

ELEMENTS OF THE SPORTS RESUME:

Academic Information

▪ grade point average/class standing

▪ SAT/ACT scores

▪ achievement test scores

▪ awards, honors

Athletic Information

▪ statistics

▪ physical dimensions

▪ tournament competition

▪ high-performance level teams

▪ sports camps attended

▪ jersey number

▪ awards, honors

Personal Background

▪ leadership roles (class officer, president of club, etc.)

▪ memberships (organizations in or out of school)

▪ community involvement

▪ employment

List of references with names, addresses, telephone numbers.

WHAT DOES YOUR SPORTS RESUME KIT INCLUDE:

Your Sports Resume Kit includes everything the coach needs to know in order to judge whether he or she wants to pursue the recruiting process with you and puts it in a neat, concise package for easy reading. This is your sales kit, your attention-grabber, and in it you will showcase your talents and accomplishments so that a coach takes notice.

The following is what many collegiate coaches and athletic directors say they want to see:

SPORTS RESUME KIT CONTENTS

▪ Cover letter

▪ Sports resume (a concise list of your academic, athletic and personal accomplishments)

▪ Letters of recommendation

▪ Offer to provide sports video (part of cover letter)

▪ Upcoming game/sporting event schedule

▪ Copies of newspaper clippings, awards

▪ Picture of yourself (either a reprint of a good quality picture or a color photocopy) – optional

COVER LETTER

A cover letter is a one or two-page letter accompanied by additional materials which, in this case, is your Sports Resume Kit. The purpose of your cover letter is to:

▪ introduce or reintroduce yourself (whatever is applicable in your situation)

▪ acknowledge that you received the materials previously sent to you

▪ confirm your interest in the college and its athletic program

▪ mention a mutual friend, alumnus or other person whom you and the coach have in common (if applicable)

▪ briefly describe the materials you have enclosed

SAMPLE COVER LETTER FOR SPORTS RESUME KIT

MARK ENGLISH

1213 Waterford Drive

Petaluma, California 94952

(707) 555-9448

February 18, 20xx

Mr. Sam Tighner

Head Men’s Soccer Coach

Whitney College

Department of Athletics

3498 University Parkway

Lambert, Illinois 78900

Dear Mr. Tighner:

My name is Mark English and I am a junior midfielder at Laguna High School in Petaluma, California. As you may remember, I wrote to you some time ago to request information about your soccer program and the availability of athletic scholarships, as well as general information about Whitney College. After reading through the material you sent and returning the player profile sheet you requested, I am very interested in Whitney College and the possibility of playing in your soccer program.

I have enclosed my sports resume as well as other information which will give you a complete picture regarding my academic and athletic history to date. Please note on the game schedule that I will be playing in your area next summer. I hope you will have a chance to come and see me play. In addition, I can put together a videotape at your request. Please let me know what you would like to see and I will be happy to send it to you.

Thank you for your consideration. I am excited about the soccer program at Whitney College and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Mark English

SAMPLE SPORTS RESUME

MARK ENGLISH

1213 Waterford Drive

Petaluma, California 94952

(707) 555-9448

ATHLETIC

Sport: Soccer

Position: Midfield

Laguna High School Jersey: #12

Sonoma Soccer Club Jersey: #4

40-Yard Time: 4.6

ACADEMIC

GPA: 3.40

SAT Score: 1090

Anticipated Date of Graduation: June, 1997

High School: Laguna High School

Petaluma, California

PERSONAL DATA

Date of Birth: March 23, 1979

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 160 lbs.

SPORTS BACKGROUND

1996/96 (Junior Year)

▪ Team 1st place, North Bay League (LHS)

▪ Team 1st place, Tournament of Champions (LHS)

▪ Team 2nd place, Club Winter League (Sonoma Soccer Club)

1994/95 (Sophomore Year)

▪ Team 1st place, North Bay League (LHS)

▪ Team 1st place, Viking Invitational (LHS)

▪ Team 2nd place, Hawaiian Rainbow International

Youth Soccer Classic (Sonoma Soccer Club)

▪ Team 2nd place, CYSA State Cup (Sonoma Soccer Club)

AWARDS/HONORS

Athletic

▪ Team Captain, Laguna High School (1995/96)

▪ Member, All-North Bay League Team (Fall 1995)

▪ Member, All-Tournament Team, Tournament of Champions (Fall 1995)

▪ Varsity Block Recipient (1995/96 and 1994/95)

▪ Member, CYSA District 5 Team (1995/96)

Academic

▪ Junior Class Representative (1995/96)

▪ 1st place, Optimist Club Speech Contest (1995)

▪ President, Rotary Youth Club (1994/1995)

▪ Honor Roll (1994/95 and 1995/96)

Mark English

Page 2

OTHER INFORMATION

Other Sports:

▪ Baseball, Pitcher/Outfielder

▪ Football, Place-kicker

Camps:

▪ Liberty State University Soccer Camp (1991-1993)

Employment:

▪ Coach, Redwood Empire Soccer Camp (1994-1996)

Community Service:

▪ Junior Volunteer, Rincon Volunteer Fire Department

▪ Assistant Coach, Petaluma Hills Little League

REFERENCES

▪ Mr. Daniel Anderson

Varsity Soccer Coach

Laguna High School

1501 Herringbone Drive, Petaluma, CA 94953

▪ Mr. Clayton Pearson

Sonoma Soccer Club Coach

1330 Beringer Way, Penngrove, CA 94949

▪ Ms. Joy Wershing

Athletic Director

Laguna High School

1501 Herringbone Drive, Petaluma, CA 94953

(707) 555-3548

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

When you have gathered all the components for your Sports Resume Kit, you will want to assemble them in their order of importance – what you want the coach to see first should be at the beginning. The following is the suggested order:

1. Cover letter

2. Sports Resume

3. Picture

4. Letters of recommendation

5. Game or event schedule

6. News clippings

SPORTS RESUME KIT TIPS

Here are some tips to help you even more:

▪ Each page should be numbered and have your name on it.

▪ Assemble your kit using a large paper clip or staples.

▪ Make sure to sign your cover letter.

▪ Make a copy of each letter.

▪ File the copy away so you can retrieve it, if necessary.

▪ Before you send your kit, take one last look to make sure you have not forgotten anything.

Next, address a large manila envelope to the coach, write your return address on the upper left corner or back of the envelope and mail it. Make sure you have sufficient postage. You can either take it to the post office or weigh it yourself if you have a postage scale. It is important to make a list of all the colleges where you send your Sports Resume Kit and write down the date you mailed the material. You should also mark this date on your calendar.

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LETTER FROM JUNIOR ATHLETE

TO COLLEGE COACH

Date

(Coach’s Name

Address

City, State, Zip)

Dear (Coach’s Name):

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. I am currently a junior at (name of high school) and, with the completion of this current season, have played softball for three years, starting at shortstop for the last two. I am 5’9” and weigh 145 pounds and can also play first base and catcher. I have been All-Conference for the past two years and was recently selected to the All-Area team.

My coach’s name is Sandra Miller; she has encouraged me to write this letter. She indicates that she plans to write one as well. Regarding my statistics: I committed only two errors this season and batted .435, with 23 triples and 19 home runs. I currently own five school records in softball and also play basketball and field hockey.

I rank 23 in a class of 389 and have a 3.4 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. My career goals are as yet undefined, but I am interested in math and science, so I probably will want to go into engineering. I am looking forward to college as an opportunity to pursue my educational and career goals and would love to continue playing softball on the college level, especially with your program.

I would appreciate hearing from you and am available in the event you are interested in additional information. Please forward whatever materials I need at this point to further express my interest in your program.

Thanks for the time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

(Student Athlete’s Name)

RESUME

Student Athlete’s Name

NAME: GPA:

ADDRESS: CLASS RANK:

CITY, STATE, ZIP SAT SCORE:

PHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE: ACT SCORE:

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: HT: ____ WT: _____

DATE OF BIRTH: CONFERENCE:

NAME OF HIGH SCHOOL:

HIGH SCHOOL COACH:

COACH’S HOME PHONE:

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR:

COUNSELOR’S SCHOOL PHONE:

SCHOOL FAX NUMBER:

ACADEMIC INTEREST IN COLLEGE:

1.

2.

3.

HONORS AND AWARDS:

WORK EXPERIENCE:

ATHLETIC STATISTICS/PERFORMANCES: (if appropriate)

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